In the seven years since its inception, Area has become a brand known for its celeb-studded clout—though not by its own agenda. The designers may have had their clothes worn by Kendall Jenner, Ariana Grande and the one and only Michelle Obama, but Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg say their fan base has grown naturally, without huge financial investment or serious marketing strategy, making their journey—from Parsons grad-school up-and-comers to lauded New York label—all the more remarkable.
And while last season, the design duo brought audacious eccentricity and punky playfulness, their SS20 offerings, debuted over the weekend, fell nothing short of fabulosity. Taking cues from ’50s and ’60s Americana and Neo-Victorian arabesque, the collection manifested in boxy tailoring, birdcage corsets and ruches-upon-ruches, accessorised with diamanté beards and the brand’s own riff on the namesake necklace, which saw ‘Area’ translated into multiple languages.
Holographic lilacs, bold blues and gingham collide in a silky amalgamation of structured chaos, featuring a sprawling statement piece which gives a whole new meaning to the term: ‘peacocking’. If you think it’s over the top, you’re right, but who couldn’t use a little more extra?
